For me, 80s music was a about fun and the introduction of the "affordable" synth and digital synthesis played a big part in the creativity. A lot of original music started in the 80s most of which I have not in any way heard repeated since. Yeah, you got some new "new wave" bands out now, but they are much too polished and radio friendly than the original 80s era.

Section 25 was the second-coolest band on the Factory label (unless you count Joy Division and New Order as separate bands)! Yes, Durutti Column is OK, yes A Certain Ratio is OK, but... Section 25 was better.

That reminds me... I remember hearing a remix of "Looking From a Hilltop" somewhere and it was fantastic. I've never seen any Section 25 remixes on CD... Anybody know of anything like a 12" collection or remix collection on CD by this band?

Mike - yeah, in fact Section 25 reissued their album with the 12" remix for Looking from the Hilltop as a bonus track... I think it's been out for awhile now. I don't have the CD but have that remix on Vinyl.

The Thompson Twins have reissued their first 3 albums as 2-CD sets... I've got the QuickStep/Side Kick and The Gap reissues. I still need the Here's to Future Days reissue. The bonus disc contains b-sides and remixes mostly only previously available on vinyl.

The U2 reissues are also quite nice... I can NOT wait for the Under a Blood Red Sky reissue - which comes out next tuesday with a remastered and restored viseo of the Red Rocks performance. Watching that literally gives me goose bumps.

I think the version I have on CD is remix-less... it's the original import version from the early days of CD!

Thompson Twins are the sorta band that put out great, fun singles but not great albums IMO. I'd be perfectly happy with their "greatest hits" and nothing more... though again, the question of extended singles and remixes... hmm.

Mike - TT's The Gap is really an amazingly produced album. I'll send you some tuneage methinks.

A Flock of Seagulls also recently re-issued their "Story of a Young Heart" album - with b-sides & remixes of course. This album is IMO one of their best albums. It's more of a conceptual album but all the songs are really rock solid.

Either of you heard of the Abecedarians? Sort of an American version of the Chameleons.

Let's not forget The Human League. "Dare" is still very danceable and totally fun to listen to from the synthpop perspective.

One thing I have always found interesting for myself is that I was never a fan of most 80's music while I was living through it...well the synth pop stuff anyway.

I did like Missing Persons and the Go Go's quite a bit, and maybe early Cars (that was late 70's though), but for most of the mid 80's (84-88) I was into metal like early Ozzy, Priest and Maiden and then moved swiftly into Venom, Exodus, Slayer, Exciter and early Pre-black album Metalica, from there it was punk and hardcore for a few years, Black Flag, GBH, Naked Raygun, Minor Threat and then that evolved backwards into classic rock again like Zeppelin, Beatles & Floyd which I liked before the 80's. The only late 80's band I really liked a lot was the Cult.

Strangely it has been in the past 5 years I have been able to appreciate the sound and skill of bands like Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Japan, Talk Talk, Tears for Fears, Sade and such and now with very few exceptions, I cannot listen to most of my older hard core and extreme metal tastes.

One of the things which blows me away now about many of the 80's pop and new romantic stuff is the production and precision of the playing and the music, especially when you consider, they had no auto-tune, softsynths, pro-tools, drum editing and such...they really sang and played that tight. Amazing!

Paul

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"I liken good ambient to good poetry ... enjoyable, often powerful, and usually unpopular" APK

The 80's RULED: The ChameleonsFields of the NephilimThe ChurchLowlifeThe EssenceLove & RocketsClan of Xymoxare some of my faves besides the obvious and more popular J. Division, Cure, Depeche, etc.

The Abecedarians-yes, great band, long overdue for reissue(s). CDs impossible to find. Another recommended obscure American British-sounding band was For Against, complete with the echoey guitars (anything with echoey guitars I am a sucker for), highly recommend "In the Marshes".

Durutti Column just "OK"? I'm afraid I can't let that pass, Mr. Griffin! You may have to switch this thread to the (sadly departed) "No Holds Barred" Section! Or maybe you can start a new one and call it "Section 25", the part of the forum where all the fans of second-tier-Factory-bands-who've-recently-reformed-because-the-few-"first tier"-bands-are-getting-endless-press-again hang out! Jeez. What's next? The "Crispy Ambulance" chat room?

Ah, the 80s. A decade of bad hair and harsh simple rhythm tracks ruining all the great songs!

TT's - I've got A Product Of... (which is very different) and In the Name of Love... on vinyl - and I think Here's to Future Days on cassette hidden in a box somewhere in my basement.

I was a huge depeche mode fan - and a huge cabaret voltaire fan. Toss in Bauhaus and the various spinoffs and solo outings - a stupid number of Cure albums - most of the Blancmange 12's - all the Smiths albums (and I later bought out a friend's entire Smiths 12" collection - I also picked up just about all the Erasure 12" and 7" releases - tried to give those all back to him a couple years back but he didn't want them... oh well...).

Bring in Skinny Puppy, Foetus, EN...

A pinch of Front 242, Ministry and various Wax Trax, Netwerk, and Play it Again Sam label stuff.

Ohhhh man... I LOOOOOVE Lowlife. For those not familiar, Lowlife is a guitar-based band (no synths). Very shoegazey, mellow guitar stuff, sort of like Cocteau Twins with deep male vocals. Excellent Fall/Autumn music. I picked up all their reissues, which is a must-have.

I didn't even know Abecedarians had CDs. I thought it was only vinyl. yeah, they do need to re-issue their albums though.

The lead singer, Bruce (middle), ened up in a band out of Vancouver called Tank Hog. They did a tour with Skinny Puppy. They told me the lead singer would stick an ice pick in his arm and play with the scabs.

Heh... "Gothic Playground"... that's quite a name. How would you describe the music? hey, maybe it's obvious, but still curious.

Vnuk - I 100% agree with you... how amazing it is that these old 80s tracks were as solid as they were considering the state of electronics back then. For instance, A-Ha's "Hunting High & Low" album is really phenomenal production considering the era. Skinny Puppy were quite a bit "looser" with their music - but they were also a favorite of mine... but I got a bit of a late start with them. Didn't start getting into them until "Too Dark Park" but now own everything of theirs. Depeche was an amazingly tight synth-based band for their time.